


Good People Don't Kill People (WIP)

by Partially_Deceased_Fangirl



Category: Iron Fey Series - Julie Kagawa, Julie Kagawa
Genre: Canon Divergence, Evil Puck, Gen, Mind Control, The Iron Daughter, The Iron Fey, WIP
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-14
Updated: 2018-07-14
Packaged: 2019-06-10 07:13:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,761
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15286464
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Partially_Deceased_Fangirl/pseuds/Partially_Deceased_Fangirl
Summary: Based after Ash and Meghan's escape from Tir Na Nog in book 2, Ash becomes increasingly protective and suspicious of any faerie that comes near them. He uses his skills to get rid of any threats the only way he knows how, to the annoyance of Meghan; especially when the death of one spy leads to an unwanted visit from an old friend.





	Good People Don't Kill People (WIP)

**Author's Note:**

> This is just a snippet of something that I hope to make into a full fic at some point, once I have the time to write a chaptered fic (AKA Once I finish University since my final big assignment is to write a full length film AHHH)  
> I'm currently writing my own faerie based novel where the high faerie has the power to control lesser faeries' minds and I wondered what would happen if Oberon were to have that power, especially over Puck.  
> I also know that Meghan's power was bound during book 2 but I wanted to give her that little bit of extra, so please do forgive me that :)
> 
> Anyway, hope you enjoy! And any feedback would be greatly appreciated so that I can improve this as much as possible when I make it into a full fic

Ash’s sword dropped to his side, the blood dripping down to the floor. The faerie’s lifeless body lay on the ground, still for a moment before it began to fold in on itself, returning to the earth. A few seconds later the only sign that there had been a faerie there before was a small pile of twigs and a sick feeling rising in Meghan's stomach.

“Ash,” she gasped. He stared at the ground, his breathing heavy.

“It was a spy, Meghan.” He quietly took a bunch of leaves from a nearby tree, cleaning his blade, before returning it to its sheath, unable to look at her.

“If I hadn’t have killed it, it would have returned to your father and he would have known exactly where we are.” Meghan sighed. She knew he was right. It was in his nature, it was what he’d been trained to do. Kill first, ask questions never. That was the only way to survive in Mab’s court. But they weren’t in Mab’s court anymore.

He stepped towards her, finally looking up. Moving slowly, he tried to reach out to take her hand, yet she couldn’t help stepping away from him. She knew he was trying, but it was difficult.

“Meghan. You understand, don’t you? You understand that I had to do that? Meghan, I have to keep you safe, I cannot lose you!” Meghan nodded, unable to look him in the eye.

“I know, Ash, I know. I just…” she trailed off, dropping to sit on a nearby tree stump. He rushed to kneel by her side, she turned away.

“I just wish you didn’t have to turn to murder every single time. Could we not have just, I don’t know, tied them up?”

Ash straightened, holding a hand out to Meghan. She reluctantly took it and stood to face him. He snaked his arms around her waist, pulling her into a hug.

“If there were any other way to be sure I was keeping you safe, I would put down my blade forever.” She pulled away from his hold, finally able to look him in the eye again.

“But surely- “Meghan began, Ash cutting her off.

“Meghan, please. You just don’t understand.” Meghan scoffed, breaking free of Ash’s embrace. She stalked away from him. He followed, able to keep up with no effort, but smart enough to keep his distance.

“Meghan, I’m sorry. I’m sorry my way of dealing with things is so against your morals. But I’m trying. I’m trying to be a better person for you! You make me a good person!” Meghan stopped suddenly and turned to face him.

“Oh really? Because I’m pretty sure good people don’t kill people, Ash!” she hissed. He flinched. He never flinched. He tried to hide it, but Meghan noticed. She sighed, her shoulders dropping.

“I’m trying.” He looked at the ground “I just couldn’t risk them getting back to your father.”

“Well then Ice Boy.” Ash spun to meet the familiar voice behind him. “You should be more careful who you kill next time.” Puck jumped down from a branch in a nearby tree, his eyes an unsettling shade of purple. “Princess” he said, tipping an imaginary hat and grinning maniacally. “Puck” she gasped

“You see” he said, walking towards them as Ash placed himself in front of Meghan, already reaching for his sword, “you never know what new glamour is going to be invented. Tracking glamour, for instance, is a pretty handy one. I’m surprised no one’s developed it before if I’m honest.That girl you just killed, We were tracking her” he smirked

“When she stopped moving we thought maybe she had found you.” Meghan stepped forward, taking hold of Ash’s free arm, squeezing gently. Her skin had turned pale seeing her best friend as her enemy. Puck noticed, stepping closer with each statement.

“Then, when her signal was lost completely, in the same spot” He paused as both of their eyes widened, realisation setting in.

“We knew it was you”

“You knew Ash would kill her” Meghan said, her voice barely above a whisper. “You knew” she roared, her sudden anger lending strength to her voice. “That he wouldn’t take any risks, that he would try to keep me safe no matter what!”Ash stayed quiet

“Love is weakness princess. Ice Boy should know that by now, it already cost him Ariella”

“DON’T YOU SAY HER NAME!” Ash exploded, unsheathing his sword, the blue glow pulsing with his power. Puck howled with laughter, crossing the space between them with unnatural speed, even for him. Ash brought up his sword to meet Puck, pushing Meghan away. She stumbled back until she felt the rough bark of a tree behind her and stared horrified, watching her best friend and the love of her life try to kill each other. Again. But this time, Puck had no conscience to stop him. Oberon was sure to take that away a while ago.

Puck swung at Ash with his daggers, throwing compact balls of leaves to make multiple versions of himself. Piles of sticks and leaves dropped to the floor as Ash’s sword cut through the many different Pucks, but he was completely surrounded. Meghan knew she had to do something. She couldn’t just stand there watching them kill each other.

She stepped forward, closing her eyes, picturing the glamour of the Wyldwood and drawing it towards herself. She ignored the wave of sickness that immediately came over her, focusing instead on her need to stop the fight. Her eyes opened, a new feeling of power mixing with the sickness. She stepped towards the fight, feeling the roots of the trees moving up through the ground, wrapping them around the feet of multiple Pucks, all of them bursting into mounds of leaves and twigs. The real Puck snapped his gaze around to stare at her, his eyes glowing.

“I wouldn’t get involved, Princess,” he hissed. “You’re not powerful enough to stop me, you know that.”

“Leave us alone, Puck” she shouted. The wind suddenly picked up, and howled through the trees all around them, whipping her hair across her face. The other Pucks disappeared, Ash dropped his sword to the ground and stared at her, clutching a gash on his arm. Puck marched towards her, fighting against the wind.

“Just leave him behind. Come with me and I won’t harm him, I swear it” Puck yelled over the wind. It was now spiralling like a tornado around them.

Meghan could see Ash, a pleading look in his eyes.

' _NO_ ' he mouthed, shaking his head, knowing she wouldn’t be able to hear him. “Just because you won’t, doesn’t mean someone else won’t. I won’t go back just for my father to shove me back into the kitchens and treat me like nothing more than another servant!” She felt something rise up in her, something unnatural. This wasn’t her Seelie glamour. With a flick of her wrist a barrage of leaves flew towards Puck, but as they flew she saw a metallic glint coming from them. Iron.

Puck dodged, most of the leaves missing him, but one caught him, leaving a shallow cut on the trickster's cheek. His skin turned sickly green and he dropped to the floor. Meghan let go of the glamour and the wind dropped again, the sudden silence in the clearing deafening; the absence of bird song after the roaring winds pressed down on her as she stared at her friend.

Ash stood and was by her side in seconds. She grabbed his hand, clinging to him as they cautiously approached Puck. He sat on the floor in the middle of the clearing, clutching his cheek, the purple of his eyes had turned to a dull grey. The injury had weakened Oberon’s hold, though they weren't naive enough to trust that he was full himself again.

“I’m sorry, Puck.” Meghan breathed. Ash’s fingers dug into the crook of her elbow as he pulled her back, keeping her from getting too close.

Her chest felt tight knowing that she had hurt her best friend, even if he wasn’t himself anymore.

“But I can’t go back. We have to get the sceptre.” Puck raised his head, looking straight into her eyes. “He just wants to keep you safe” he managed to say, his voice shaky and small. The malice was gone, as though it had never been there. Now he just looked scared.

“That’s why I have Ash” She smiled softly, looking at the Faerie Prince stood protectively behind her. She turned back to face Puck.

“This is Iron sickness, Puck. It almost killed you before, don't put yourself through that pain again. You need to get back to the Seelie court and see the healer. If you get there quickly you won’t need the Dryads again” She stepped away, not taking her eyes off of him. He nodded slowly, staying silent as he hauled himself to his feet. “Goodbye, Meghan” he said. Meghan noticed from his tone, he didn't expect to ever see her again. He transformed into a raven in a flurry of feathers, flying away awkwardly, struggling to keep a regular beat with his wings.

As soon as he was out of sight, Meghan turned. She noticed the cut on Ash's arm, reaching out for it. "Ash" she whispered, taking a square of fabric from her pocket and wiping away the blood. "I'm fine, Meghan. It's just a scratch, nothing compared to Goodfellow." The realisation of what she had just done washed over her, she crashed into Ash's arms, tears threatening to overflow. He held her close, stroking her hair as she cried against him.

“What did I do?” She sobbed, clinging to Ash.

“I could’ve killed him. I could have killed my best friend” She heard Ash attempt to cover up his laugh and she snapped up her gaze to glare at him.

“What.” she demanded.

“Well” he smirked, “I suppose good people do sometimes kill people.” Meghan didn't soften her glare, and his smile soon disappeared  

“Too soon?” She raised an eyebrow.

“Too soon.” He nodded, shutting up and pulling her close again, gently kissing the top of her head. 

She pulled away from his embrace, breathing in deeply and letting it out slowly as she wiped her eyes with the heel of her palm.

Well,” she said, picking up Ash’s sword and handing it to him, “we should probably get moving.”  
Ash slid the sword back into it’s scabbard and nodded, holding out a hand for her to take.


End file.
